Return of a King: The Battle for Afghanistan, 1839-42 by William Dalrymple
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Return of a King is the story of the First Afghan War. This is, more or less, the beginning of the “Great Game” in which Russia and the British competed for influence in Central Asia. The British send an expedition to Kabul to oust the Amir, Dost Mohammed, and replace him with Shah Shuja, who would presumably follow the British lead.

The short story is that the British expedition does reach Kabul, Shah Shuja is installed as king, and then the British make a series of unforced errors, which undercut their own standing and also that of Shah Shuja. This leads to resistance on the part of the Afghans, and eventually to an open revolt in Kabul. The British army attempts to retreat back to India but is destroyed. It is an amazing story, and it brings to mind the events in Afghanistan of the last twenty or so years.

The author has written an excellent narrative of the campaign. The use of primary sources from both the British and the Afghan sides really makes the story come alive. The maps and the list of “dramatis personae” are a big help in keeping things straight as the campaign proceeds. I also liked the Author’s Note at the end; it’s definitely worth reading – the parallels between the First Afghan War and the events of the last twenty years are enough to make one believe the old adage of history repeating itself.

I highly recommend this book. I really learned quite a bit by reading it, and it is very well written and a pleasure to read.

One further note: one of my favorite series of books is the Flashman series of historical novels by George MacDonald Fraser. The first book in the series, Flashman, is set during the First Afghan War. And this is book that sparked my interest in Central Asia and led me to read Return of a King.